Have you ever watched children play? They run around without a care imagining adventures and seeing the whole world through innocent eyes. They have no concern for race, culture, or religion, socioeconomic status or political opinions. They just enjoy the moments being shared with their peers and optimistically expect that what happens next will be just as fun. I envy their minds.

Children are the models for positive thinking. Before life teaches them about heartache, pain, and disappointment all they see is good things. Until they’ve been lied to they believe everything they hear. Until they’ve been deceived they believe everything they see. Until they’ve tried and failed they believe that all their dreams can come true and that one day they will have everything their little hearts hope for and no one can tell them otherwise. They believe without evidence, they are forgiving, they find joy in even things.

But for us who have experienced life, who have seen the ups and downs of the emotional rollercoaster called living, for us things aren’t quite that simple. It is a struggle to ignore the past so we can have great hope for the future. It is difficult to push away negative thoughts, such as doubt and fear of failure, because we know the risks are great and the results are unpredictable. But if we can find a way to tap into our inner selves, the children we once were who had faith that anything is possible, then maybe, just maybe, we can conquer our own worlds.